Remember
by Chestnutt
Summary: Even after years of being on Pekopon, Dororo can't seem to forget the love he once shared with Giroro. He decides that it may be better to remember, not forget. But will he be able to make Giroro remember as well?


1**Remember**

**Chapter 1**

Dusk. Not yet night, but no longer day. A small layer of orange and yellow lay in the sky where the sun was, quickly fading. Above it was the night sky, waiting to take over. Stars began to poke out and the moon shined dimly. Animals began to retreat to their homes to rest, while others were just waking up. Somewhere in the forest, a waterfall crashed into a pond, sending ripples across it's surface. A figure sat underneath it, not seeming to feel the weight the waterfall was putting on it. His mind was somewhere else. Oblivious, the ninja mediated in silence, the only sounds coming from him being the steady flow of his breathing. He was alone this time. His usual female companion was off somewhere else, but he didn't mind. Right now, he needed to be alone.

Dororo gave a small sigh as he reviewed his life thus far. There were a lot of times when everyone forgot about him, took advantage of him, or had been cruel to him. Though he had come to expect it now, it still hurt. Still, he did have some pretty great adventures. And though they did often forget him, he did make some very close friends over the years. He smiled to himself. There was one person who stuck out in his mind more than anyone though. This person did the most wonderful, yet also the most horrible, things to him. This person made him feel the happiest he'd ever been, but also made him hurt more than Keroro ever could. This person was...

"Giroro..." The assassin whispered with a pang of sadness. The one person that had made him feel wanted, appreciated, belonged, loved. Ever since the day they met, Dororo had harbored a secret love for the red keronian. And at one point, his affections were returned, making his heart burst with joy. When they were only tadpoles, they shared their first kiss. Two confused little kids, not sure how to go about it, but did as they had seen others do. Both blushed nervously, an awkward silence forming between them. They would have more practice as the years passed.

Their virginity was lost almost as soon as they enrolled in the army, this being one of Dororo's most cherished, yet concealed, memories. He remembered that strong, muscular red body hovering over him, blushing furiously. He remembered the love bites, the noises, the pain and sweat. The pleasure._"I'll be with you forever..."_ Giroro had said to him, kissing him deeply. Forever seemed to be as soon as they landed on Pekopon. That was when the corporal ended it. _"I just feel that our relationship may get in the way of the mission. We can't be distracted during the invasion..." _His voice was emotionless as he spoke, and Zeroro saw nothing as he gazed into those dark eyes. In a fit of rage, the assassin slapped him. Hard. It echoed through the ship, and tears streamed down the blue keronian's face as he looked at his stunned superior.

"_I.. never knew that _that_ was where your priorities lied. The invasion above me... What happened to... being together forever!" _He snapped, his hands balling up into fists. Giroro rubbed his cheek, his anger flaring, but tried to maintain his composure.

"_That was years ago, and we were still very young. Please try to understand why I have to do this..." _

"_Oh, I understand _perfectly_..." _The assassin scoffed, his voice full of sarcasm and distaste. _"How long have you been thinking this?"_

"_...A little bit after we were assigned the same platoon..."_ The red keronian admitted.

"_...I see." _He turned his back, and began to leave, his tears making little 'plips' on the floor.

"_Zeroro..."_

"_..What?"_

"_...Can we still be friends?"_ Giroro had asked hopefully. The other stopped where he was, and nodded slowly, giving a sigh. _"And Zeroro..." _The corporal had begun, lowering his head. _"I...I think it's best if we didn't talk about our past together..." _Zeroro stiffened, but managed to give a polite 'mmhmm', and began walking again. _"And Zeroro... I...I'm sorry." _The blue frog swallowed hard and tried to find his voice.

"_..Yeah..me too." _And with that, he left. In his mind, it was all over. What was he supposed to do now? Giroro was the best thing that ever happened to him, but now he was gone. Sure, they could still be friends, but it'd never be the same. He felt utterly alone once again. Ironic that the best thing in his life was responsible for the worst thing in his life. Returning to his quarters, he let the impact of what had happened take effect. His heart lay in pieces and he wasn't sure if it could be restored again. Out of all the traumas he had, this was the worst. Curling up in a ball, his body racked with sobs, while he tried to let sleep take him...

Dororo's eyes shot open, a small gasp escaping his mouth. He could feel his heart pounding, and he brought a hand up to feel it. It was repaired for the most part. All except for one piece that Giroro had taken with him. Would he ever get it back? He sighed. Why did bad memories always seem to pass through his head? The ninja lifted his head against the waterfall to look at the now dark sky. It was a swath of stars, accompanied by a now bright moon. Sighing again, he got to his feet and began to walk home, the memories of when his life crumbled rushing through his head. No matter how hard he tried to forget it, he just couldn't. He couldn't forget about the relationship he once had with the red warrior, and part of him didn't want to. Though he wouldn't admit it, he still loved Giroro more than anything.

"Ugh! Why can't I get him out of my head! Why can't I just _forget_?" Shaking his head quickly, he opened the shoji screen door and stepped inside his home, which was still vacant. "Giroro-kun and I are over...but yet, I still can't let it go." He slowly sat down on his futon and put his head in his hands. _Forget him...forget what you once had. It's gone and it's not coming back!_, a voice nagged in the back of his mind. Dororo wanted to listen to it so badly. He knew it was right. But another voice overpowered this one. It screamed at him. _No! Don't forget! Don't forget him! You don't have to! If anything, you should try to remember. Remember the good times you shared... _Dororo looked thoughtful as he considered what the voice said. He nodded. "Don't forget... Remember."


End file.
